Can opener



June 26,1928. 1,674,646 J. F. JANKOWSKI CAN OPENER Filed May 26) 1926 //v v5 r0 2: JOHN f. JQNKOMSKA Patented June 26, 1928. V

UNITED" STATES PATENT I oFFic JOHN F; JANxowsKnoF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, Asszeitonvro nAzEY cHUnN' &MA1v-U- FAOTURING 00.. or sit. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A oonrcnazrron-or MISSOURLKM can OPENER. v

.' Application filed m y 26,

' My invention relates to improvements in can-openers and has for ts purpose to provide a can-opening hand .tool adapted to cut the head of the can in alinement with the inner face of the wall ofthe'camandthus permit a solid. can content to be dumped v bereadilycleaned through the aperture.

without breakage.

"This object is attained by a curved pointed blade so diverging from a curved guard as to force the cutting edge of the blade into contact with a point on the innerface of the ,liddirectly in alinement with inner face,

of the wall of the can.

The guard'is preferably of slightly greater width and lengththan the blade, toprotect the blade from accidental injury. i The guard is also apertured to provide ready'accessto the adjacentface of the blade for cleaning the blade. 1 I

The inner faces of the blade and guard are so contoured, and diverge from each other at such an angle, as to pinch or squeeze the upper edge of the can between them during: the entire cutting operation. thus keeping the blade pinched against the inner face of the wall of the can during the entire cutting operation, as well as holdingthe blade in the proper position to cut the head cleanly from the can so that no fragments of the head when-cut will remain overhanging the interior of the can.

Drawings.

In the drawings I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tool embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional fragmental view of a can-head showinga front elevation of the tool in the cutting position shown Fig. 3.1

Description. .As shown'in the drawings, the'tool of my invention embraces a handle A wherein the shank 10 of the shank-and-guard piece B is mounted. The piece Bis so curved at 18 that the blade-seat 11 and blade 12 will be offset and out of alinement with the handle A. Upon the blade-seat 11 the blade 12 is mounted, and forward of the line of mounting the blade 12 and guard 13 so diverge i926. set-lam. 111,728. I

from each other as to pinch or squeezethe top ed-TQ 14? 0f the can i g p n tween them, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The guard l3 hasthe outwardlyturned.

terminal lip 13, andis apertnredat 15 to permit the adjacent face oftheblade 12to extend beyond theisi'des of the .blade 12, as

shown in Fig. 1., so as to, protect the cutting edges of the blade 12 from injury, due to the accidental droppingof the tool upon a hard surface, or like'causes.

Mode of operation. I The blade-point "'16; is thrust'through: the

. can-head 17 at any point conveniently near,

the periphery of said can-head l7 (see Fig. 2). A continued'downward thrust will bring the cutting edge of theblade 12 into engage ment with thetop of the flange 19, thus re moving the can-head l7 inexact vertical alinement with the inner face of the wall of the can O. (SeeFigs. 3 and 4:.) The handle A is then pressedrearwardly and downwardly, forcing the blade 12 upwardly with a forward out, then raised, and the blade 12. forced forwardly and downwardly to its next cutting position, and by successive strokes of the 1 blade 12 the entire can-head 17 is cleanly cut from the can C, leaving no fragments overhanging theinterior of the can C.

It will be observed that the blade12 is so mounted as to cut the top of the-flange 19 7 formed around the periphery of the can head 17. and leaving the outer rimof that flange 19 in place after the cutting operation'is completed. Thus, at all times dur- 17) are made between them; so that, due to I the divergence of theblade 12 and guard 13, the tool is fulcrumed in the bite or pinch formed by this divergence and the resulting contact and pressure upon, the inner face of the wall of the can 0, and the, outer face 6 of the flange 19; and there is no fulcruming of the tool upon the top edge of the'can C (see Figs. 2 and This fulcrunging'l have determined by actual test to result in by the opposed pressure of the blade 12 and guard 13. The degree of that pressure is properly such as will keep the tool in position upon the can Whenever the hand of the operator is released from the tool. To make clear this biting or gripping engagement of the tool With the can I have indicated as 20 in Figs. 2 and 3 the open space existing above the flange 19 and between the blade 12 and guard 13 during the cutting operation.

Variations of form of the tool thus described can be effected Without departure from my actual invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising a handle and a shank, a guard on the shank, a blade carried by the shank adjacent to and coextensive with the guard throughout the major portion of the length of the guard, the guard being appreciably spaced from the blade throughout-the major portion of its length to receive the wall of the can therebetween to properly position the opener and prevent lateral tilting thereof, and said guard and blade throughout the minor portions of their length being convergent to their points of connection with the shank thereby to form a sharp acute angle adapted to pinch the head of the can to form a fulcrum and to maintain the blade against the Wall of the can. i

2. A can opener comprising a handle and a shank, a guard formed on the shank, a blade carried by the shank adjacent to and coextensive with the guard throughout a major portion of the length of the guard and the free ends of the guard and blade being bent outwardly from each other, the

guard being appreciably spaced from the blade throughout a major portion of its length to receive the Wall of the can therebetween to properly position the opener and prevent lateral tilting thereof, and said guard and blade throughout the minor portions of their length being convergent to their points of connectionwith the shank thereby to form a sharp acute angle adapted at all times to pinch the head of a can to JOHN F; JANKOVVSKI.

'50 form a fulcrum and to constantly maintain the blade against the Wall of the can. 

